Bear Mauls Trash Can To Get Food Inside, Has No Idea That's Exactly What They Want Him To Do

by
Karen Brost 10/5/2017

Grizzly bears are known for being pretty adept at getting into trash cans or coolers when they know there's some tantalizing food to be had inside. But who would have ever expected that this particular skill would lead them to a job opportunity?

Well, this is certainly one of those things you don't hear about every day...

Hungry bears that forage for food at parks and campgrounds put themselves at risk because they may need to be euthanized or relocated if they get too close to people. As Randy Gravatt, facilities manager for the non-profit Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in Yellowstone National Park told the CBS Evening News,

"There's a saying out there, a fed bear is a dead bear."

One way to avoid this is for consumers, parks and municipalities to use "bear resistant" containers to store trash and food. That's where the grizzly bears who live at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center come in. For about $500, manufacturers of trash cans and coolers can "hire" the bears to see if they can maul their way into the container to get at the food inside.

The bears are given 60 minutes to see if they can open or break into the container. If they can't, the product can be marketed as "Certified Bear Resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee." Of course, not all products pass the test.